Deleted Post

Update as of 4th January 2009. Dear all, we have modified this blog entry simply because we would prefer to be generous in our minds, hearts and actions. We do not want to engage our readers in petty and pointless banter over trivial matters. However, the essence of the post(s) remain true and faithful to its original message(s).   Lots of love, Corra

So it happened just as I would have expected it, the entire discussion had been deleted. Now I truly hope they will not prohibit me from accessing the forum.
     

Update as of 4th January 2009. The forum had indeed removed my posting privilege to protect it’s assistant manager, since 3rd January 2008.

If you haven't seen what had happened, here it is.

Update as of 4th January 2009. The original posts extracted from the involved forum is now been modified. However, the essence of the post(s) remain true and faithful to its original message(s).

History/ Background:

When I published my first tutorial, my first buyer was a well known jewelry maker that does excellent wires weaving, while I was happily processing the transaction, I’ve got an Etsy convo from another supposedly well-known jewelry maker. To cut it short, I was being accused for copying her tutorial. I denied it simply because I have never even seen her tutorial. After clearing the air with this jewelry maker, she decided to leave thing as it was. I then contacted the person that bought my tutorial and told her that since I’ve already spent so much effort in writing my tutorial, I won’t want to sell it to someone that didn’t want it in the first place. I offered a refund, but the buyer told me that the person that thought I’ve copied her work had already paid her back - I knew they are sharing my tutorial amongst themselves, they didn’t even tried to deny it.

Just when I thought things had already been sorted out, another person that is totally outside the picture had sent me a few hateful E-mails, claiming that she is the Assistant Manager of a supposedly famous jewelry related forum, asking me not to sell my tutorial, or should I wished to teach people how to make jewelry, I should teach my own country’s people and write my tutorials in my own language. According to her, there are too many and more than enough wire jewelry tutorials out there, and hence I am not needed.

Dear reader, I do not need to disclose how hateful the mails were, It is a shame that someone could even write such sentences to a stranger, without fearing in ruining someone. An educated person will not say things as such, and sadly, I was being naive back then, I tried so hard to explain, I even shown her all my creations before I’ve wrote the tutorials, and shown her my photography works. Finally she came into the conclusion that I did not copied – but when I asked her if she would ever apologize should she found me not being guilty, she disappeared – no more reply from her, nothing.

Later, I realized these bunch of people used the same mean-spirited method on some other newcomer(s). Unlike them; we, the newcomers choose to support each other, and decided to stay away from them. We believed in “what goes around, comes around”.

It didn’t take too long for this to occur. Few months later, the owner of the forum (her boss) contacted me and invited me to join her forum. I hesitated, and told her about the incident. Apparently the owner of the forum wasn’t aware that someone was indeed using the name of her forum to send “hatemails”. The forum owner found out what was it really going on, and sorted things out. She came back to me and insisted that I join her forum. This was how I started to post my works in that forum. I continued to do so although I knew in the back of my mind that I may need to deal with that person in the future. Quote from the forum owner, “you want to sell your tutorials, and we need that in our forum, it is a win-win situation.”, which I somewhat, agreed.

Initially, it was OK to post in that forum, but after awhile that person started to be pretentiously nice to me in the forum – complimenting my pieces, forgetting the distress she made me go through. I felt she was being nice, because she was asked to. I’ve reacted couple of times upon her “compliments” resulting in warning e-mails. After much communications, I promised the forum owner that I will not react inappropriately, should this person leave me alone – I had peace the first couple of months. Recently; on the 2nd of January 2009, this person included a URL in my post to another jewelry maker’s creation (this happens to be the person who accused me of copying her tutorial as mentioned above) – encouraging me to take a glance at her creation again. Unable to tolerate this any longer; I posted the entire incident in detail on the forum, resulting the removal of the entire thread as well as my posting privileges.

Summary:

I guess whoever that needs to see the thread has seen it, I’ve backed up the conversation, knowing that she will be protected by the forum, and the thread will be removed. It happened just as I’ve expected it. I’ve posted the content here for a few days, long enough for my readers to know the truth. 

To the person that sent me those hatemails – although the thread has been removed from the forum, I wish you good luck.

This is what I have said, in my words, copyrighted by myself (as much as I’d like to copyright this, but can’t, as this does not contain any commercial value or intellectual property):

Update as of 5th January 2009: Receiving one after another harassment E-mails on daily basis is just not of my preference. The involved person requested to be hidden from the public eyes for this matter, at least in my blog, hence the alterations. Person name had been changed, however, the essence of the post(s) remain true and faithful to its original message(s).

X, are you angry? You owe me an apology, until then, let's not pretend you would like my works/creations/designs. You owe me an apology because of the following reasons: 1. You viewed my tutorial without authorization. Y helped Z bought my tutorial, Z paid her back, and I sent the tutorial to Y, she passed it to Z(yes, big shots does that too), they were both somewhat authorized to see my tutorial - you were not. Who else viewed it without authorization? You tell me. 2. You sent me mails. Hatemails. in those mails you've asked me not to sell my tutorials. You said, there are enough tutorials in the market, if I were to write one and sell, I'd better write them in Chinese language (but hey, I am an Aussie graduate! haha!) There are other people out there, received the same treatments from you and the rest of people I've mentioned, I do hope they'd stayed strong enough for what they wanted to do if they are indeed, not guilty. 3. You accused me for copying Z’s design, where I haven't even seen any of her tutorial. You knew you were wrong, but you went disappeared and not responding to my E-mail when I asked you if you would apologize should you find out I wasn't even remotely close to being a copycat. And now you are directing me to Z’s creation? Oh come on. I've promised XX not to bring this into the supposedly-reputable-jewelry-forum - condition is if you will not leave me chance to. I have also warned you as gentle as I could, one more cases as such I would reveal this. It surprised me that this has to come just in the first 2 days of year 2009. May be in year 2009, you will want to be responsible for what you have done, especially, what you have done wrong. Thank you, Corra.

Truth cannot be hid, and it is clear that X still plays the same old trick – hit and run. She was trying to be friendly and compliment me when she’s posting under the public eyes, that is just so worthless to me.
She will not apologize even though she knew she is guilty, period.

Update as of 4th January 2009: I’d stay firm on this matter. I will do whatever it takes to reveal the fact.

Update as of 7th January 2009: How funny one could claim in her so called home that I’ve broke what had been promised. I did not break my promise. I even have a proof of what I have promised. It was the so called home owner had disappointed me by turning her back to someone she had invited to her home, and then right now disappointing her guests for hiding the truth.